Trenton/Black River Core Workshop and Case Studies

Possibilities within the Michigan Basin and Similarities outside the Basin

A one-day workshop presented jointly by the Michigan PTTC and the Michigan Oil and Gas Association (MOGA) on October 23, 2003, in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. This one-day event combined several speakers with a multidisciplinary approach to the Trenton/Black River, and a hands-on core workshop. Speakers addressed geological, geophysical, engineering and practical well management aspects of Michigan Trenton/Black River experience as well as analogues elsewhere.

There were 91 people in attendance.

The Trenton/Black River formation in the Michigan Basin has produced around 140 million barrels of oil. This workshop provided a retrospective on the play in Michigan, as well as, a look ahead at new opportunities through out the region.

For more information, contact Bill Harrison, Western Michigan University, E-mail: william.harrison_iii@wmich.edu or phone 269-387-8633

Workshop Purpose

To provide participants with:

· A geologic overview of the Albion-Scipio and Stoney Point fields, giving case histories

· Insights into the origins of the Trenton/Black River reservoir type, which could help them design more productive exploration and development plans

· Knowledge about a new technique that creates computer animations of regional lithofacies, revealing known and new potential areas for exploration

· Practical aspects of applying well test analysis to enhance reservoir engineering practices

· Data on Trenton/Black River seismic anomalies, drilled and undrilled, and techniques for evaluating them

· Information on how proper use of chemicals could result in a reduction of 20-40% in overall operating costs.

· Understanding of how aeromagnetic surveying over south central Michigan has been successful as a fast, low-cost and effective exploration technique for locating basement faults that cause localized hydrothermal dolomite porosity

· The opportunity for hands-on examination of several cores from the Albion-Scipio and Stoney Point fields, giving them information on fracturing and dolomitization. They also learned about reservoir storage and flow properties and well performance, related to measured porosity and permeability and rock fabric. Documented well performance was related to core properties. This information is critical in creating exploration strategies and reservoir management procedures.

Technical Program Presenters

--Dr. William B. Harrison, Geoscience Department Professor and Director of the Michigan Basin Core Research Laboratory

--Dr. Robert G. Loucks, Senior Research Scientist, Bureau of Economic Geology, the University of Texas at Austin,

--Dr. A. S. (Buddy) Wylie, Research Scientist and Engineer and Dr. James R. Wood, Geology Professor, Michigan Technological University,

--John Guoynes, Petroleum Engineer at Halliburton Energy Services, Kalkaska, Michigan,

--Bryan L. Roth, Chief Geophysicist, Roth Exploration Geoservices,

--Dennis Sallee, Account Manager, Baker Petrolite,

--Dr. William C. Pearson, President, Pearson Technologies, and S. Parker Gay, President, Applied Geophysics,

--Trenton/Black River Core Workshops, presented by Drs. William B. Harrison, G. Michael Grammer, and Robb Gillespie and students from Dr. Grammer’s Advanced Carbonate Sedimentology class. Attendees had the opportunity to examine several cores from the Albion-Scipio and Stoney Point fields in the Michigan Basin. Thin-section photographs from 3 cores were shown.

--Robert G. Hickman and W. Norman Kent presented a poster on hydrothermal dolomite and associated hydrocarbon accumulations.

Photos from the core workshop.

Photo #1 – Dr. G. Michael Grammer and Graduate Student Kyle Roslund, Western Michigan University discuss core characteristics of an Albion-Scipio well with Bob Loucks, Keynote speaker from University of Texas and Alan Madroo, geophysical consultant from Michigan.

Picture #2 – Western Michigan University Graduate Student Anthony Sandomierski shows a piece of core from Albion-Scipio field to David Harris, Kentucky Geological Survey and John Fowler, Michigan independent petroleum geologist.

Figure #1 - Example of the Core description information compiled and presented at the workshop by Western Michigan University students in Dr. Grammer’s Advanced Carbonate Sedimentology class.

Examples of core photos on posters from the workshop:

Core Photo #1 - Fenestral facies with primary porosity from Hergert #1 well Albion –Scipio field

Core Photo #2 - Fracture, brecciated interval filled with white saddle dolomite from Hergert #1 well Albion-Scipio field